


"Don't give up"

by stainhermouthred



Series: Second Chances [2]
Category: Marvel (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky and Clint tolerate each other, F/M, Natasha doesn't have a clue, Not so little heartbreak, Some Swearing, sex implied, super fluffy and then angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 10:42:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2544602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stainhermouthred/pseuds/stainhermouthred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You want the advice? Don’t fucking give up.”<br/>“Like you did?”<br/>Turned out, that Bucky did punch Clint in the face. And vice versa. They deserved that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Don't give up"

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to "I care about, idiot" fic, basically comicverse, enjoy ;)  
> Also: I don't own anything

Clint woke up to a warm body of his wife cuddled next to him. He opened his eyes slightly to see her completely calm and beautiful, laying with her hair sprawled all over his pillow tickling him lightly in the face. Few years back it would annoy him but now, it was calming. Familiar. Stretching a little he more felt than saw her snuggling tighter against him, smile curling in the corners of her mouth. She was almost awake, he could feel the change in her breathing on his neck. His hand ran up her spine gently to guide her back and when she finally opened her eyes, she was smiling that happy smile that made him fall in love with her for the very first time.

She didn’t speak. Of course she could since he was able to lip read her but this wasn’t necessary, they knew each other so well they could make it without words. She pulled him into the kiss, gentle and lazy, as if they had all the time in the world to enjoy each other. In some way, they did. There was no immediate threat, no mission in progress, just them.

Never breaking the kiss Bobbi climbed on his lap and hummed for a bit. Clint sighed into her mouth and settled one hand on her waist while the other disappeared in her hair. It was messy but he loved it anyway, it was soft and there was a trace of her favorite perfume in it. He love it too.

He broke their kiss to pepper small kisses across her neck which earned him an actual giggle from her and a scrap of her nails on his back. He smiled against her neck and looked up to see her eyes filled with mischief when she pushed him down playfully. He complied, pulling her down with him, laying her chest to chest against him, feeling her skin to skin. They looked at each other the same way they did when they were in LA, still married then. Playful, daring. Happy. They never stop watching each other, not when he kept her down and moved inside of her, not when she turned them and took charge. That’s how they were back in the day. They missed it. Both of them. So they took what they could.

They still hadn’t got up when they heard something coming through the door. Or Bobbi heard and signed that to Clint. He was about ninety percent sure it’s Barney. But Bobbi insisted he’d go and check for sure since it was his apartment. Meanwhile she put on one of his shirts again and took the gun she knew he was hiding in his drawer. Whoever it was she wasn’t going in unarmed.

Clint walked into the kitchen and stopped for a second to see Natasha fixing herself a cup of coffee. She took one long look at him and signed to him:

“Seriously, Clint? Another woman when you knew I was going to visit?” He blinked. His mind didn’t seem to work at normal speed right then. But Natasha’s attention was drawn to something behind him and he remembered that Bobbi was there too.

Natasha wasn’t really surprised to see Clint playing around with someone. Now Bobbi being this someone was a bit of a shock. Nat quirked her eyebrow at Bobbi and asked knowing that Clint could understand at least some of it:

“Heard you’re officially divorced now, darling”

Bobbi was not one to be flustered. She grinned widely at her.

“Yep, I am single and officially free to do whatever I want”

“and whoever you want”

Bobbi just winked at him and came to her to give her a quick hug. Clint was busy making both of them coffee so Natasha took a chance and spilled what she had to say anyway:

“Look, Bobbi, about Hill. I didn’t know alright? I was sure they would tell you. Really. I’ll inform you about everything myself next time, I promise”

“It’s okay, Nat. I gave Hill hell for this. She’ll think twice next time she tries to exclude me from something like this.”

“That’s the Bobbi I know. What I don’t know is why would you sleep with him again” Bobbi had to give it to Natasha. She looked genuinely curious.

“That, my dear, is none of your business. Practice later?”

“Sure”

Apparently Clint got bored with their hidden conversation because he came to them with a kicked puppy face passing coffee to Bobbi and trying to put her arm around her but she squirmed away from him. “I’m gonna take a shower. You kids, catch up” with that she left.

Nat looked at Clint with “seriously, again?” face. And he just shrugged. “Why do you guys even bother getting divorced?” she had to sign. He knew it was supposed to be joke. 

More than anything he wanted to say “I don’t know” but he realized he couldn’t.. That was the worst part. Suddenly the weight of every they had been through came crushing at him.

She was taken and brainwashed. She was raped and let the psycho die. She didn’t want him to know. She wanted to forget it. What’s worse when he found out he threw a fit at her. No comfort. No warm words. No support. Anger. And shouting. He didn’t think she would ever forgive him that. But she kept standing by his side anyway. Drowning into the cycle of violence that kept her sane but pulled him down into the darkness. It wasn’t for the lack of trying. Nor the lack of love. It was actually the worst. Because it drew them to each other but in the same time they wouldn’t do that. They cared too much to drag the other down.

That was the answer and Clint wanted nothing more than to say: “I don’t know”

“Clint?” Natasha looked at him, her lips moving but he couldn’t focus, he was too far gone in his thoughts. She only got some of his attention because she touched his arm. “You okay?”

“No.”

Goddamn it.

“Can I help?”

No one can.

“I need to talk to someone, take Bobbi somewhere, will you?”

“Sure thing, Hawkeye”

He gave her a big hug and left his apartment. He never locked it anyway.

 

**

 

They met in the bar in the suburbs. Kid liked to sit there and really he needed someone who had more screwed up situation that he did.

And Bucky Barnes was perfect for the task.

So they sat and drank a lot of bear, catching up at the usual staff about their teams. Barnes was the free agent now and so was Clint’s ex-wife as a matter of fact. Come to think of it, Clint had no idea what they were doing. Of course Kid couldn’t really tell him, classified and all.

“I guess Bobbi is doing just fine being a regular spy again, that’s what she always wanted” he  threw that casually trying to be subtle. Failed.

“Bobbi’s brilliant. I’m sure you know this. Are you here to talk about your ex-wife?” Bucky had his cocky expression on, son of a bitch.

“Yeah, maybe. Just wanted to ask how are you doing with Nat’s brainwashing. It’s been a while now and you seem… alright.”

“I’m fine”

Stupid Bucky. No one, literally no one in the world would believe him but he kept gritting his teeth and telling his lie over and over again. He was stubborn yes but he definitely wasn’t “fine”.

“Cut the bullshit. I’m serious.”

“I bumped into her. On a mission. She called me Winter Soldier. How do you think I feel?” he spat it out, eyes fixed on his bear. He didn’t tell that to anyone. His pain was his own. But then again people who weren’t Barton knew better than to dig deeper. Hawkeye was an idiot and if he says one word too much, he’ll get punched. That was a fair deal which they were both aware of.

“Ever considered just telling her?” They didn’t look at each other. They couldn’t. Each one carried to much baggage on their own. And in that moment Clint was aware that Bucky wanted to just leave.

“No. It’s done” he answered instead in calm voice. He wasn’t calm. He was burning with regret. “what the hell is wrong with you, anyway? You don’t just call to hang out with me. From what I remember you don’t even like me very much”

“This morning I remembered every single reason why I can’t be with Bobbi. And it’s kinda killing me. Thought I’d get an advice or something”

“You want the advice? Don’t fucking give up.”

“Like you did?”

Turned out, that Bucky did punch Clint in the face. And vice versa. They deserved that. And maybe Bobbi wasn’t the only one in the cycle of violence. They were thrown out of the bar and just stood outside looking ready to fight. Finally they shook their heads and made their way to Clint’s apartment since Bucky said she hadn’t seen Bobbi in a while and would like to see his fellow spy. Clint lead the way.

The only thing was, he forgot that Bobbi was with Natasha so when they reached his apartment they walked into Nat and Bobbi happily chattering about something and Clint felt Bucky freeze behind him. Right. He didn’t thing about it.

Natasha looked at them still smiling and her eyes rested on Bucky. Curious.

Clint noticed that Bobbi is giving him raised eyebrows but he didn’t say a word. Finally Bobbi came to her senses first and greeted Bucky warmly inviting him it. Clint thought that this was the weirdest night in his life. He was sitting there with his ex-wife close but not quite touching and they were watching Natasha trying to subtly seduce the love of her life and Bucky being really uncomfortable. The conversation was flowing and finally Natasha got up telling them she had an early morning and turned to Bucky “It was nice to chat. I wish I had known you bit better”  and with that she left. Clint could practically hear Kid’s heart breaking.

Soon he left too and there were just Clint, Bobbi and his mind shouting at him.

He wanted to tell her. Bur he won’t. He won’t do this to both of them again. Kid’s words be damned. He didn’t expect Bobbi to ruin his plans though.

“I know what you’re thinking.” She looked straight at him, determinated. “Natasha told me how you got all worried after she mentioned our divorce. Not to mention you took off then. I thought it was my specialty.” She was angry. For some reason she was absolutely furious.

“I just…”

“Don’t. I’m not doing anything I don’t want and neither are you. What you shouldn’t do was to leave when it’s a matter concerning the two of us.”

“Bobbi…” he didn’t really understand what was she talking about. She was mad that he left but why…

“Don’t you think I know it’s a bad idea?  But circumstances  change. I don’t want to loose you. I can’t. So if you don’t want this, you better tell me, you jerk, because leaving me like this didn’t solve a damn thing” yes, she was furious. She let him see her vulnerable side the night before and she seemed to thought that he didn’t have the courage to tell her the truth. Well she wasn’t wrong.

He wanted to tell her. that they tried several times, they failed. That they would hurt each other again. But there was something stronger that this between them. So he says something he wanted to tell her all morning:

“I love you”

There’s no regret and no apology. No question. It’s a fact and a promise. And he tried really hard to show her with his eyes, his little hopeful smile and the tone of his voice he couldn’t hear. Because he did.

And he succeed because the next thing he knew was Bobbi in his arms and feeling her whisper “I love you” against his pulse.

 

 


End file.
